Universal shaft



W. L. BELL.

UNIVERSAL SHAFT.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 2o. 1919.

1,390,484. Patentedsept. 13,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

y I INVENTOR- 1mm .0 Wi'am.- L. Bell ATTORNEY W. L. BELL.

UNIVERSAL SHAFT.-

APPLICATION FILED Nov. zo, I9Is.

1,390,484. PatentedSept. 1,3, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- v INVEN TOR william L. een

ATTORNEY nur si* 'ras PATNT rica.

WILLIAM L. BELL, OF OAKLAND, CALIIEOIIELNIA..A

UNIVERSAL SHAFT. l

'Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. 13, 1921.

Application led November 20, 1919. Serial No. 339,503.

To all whom t may cof/wem.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. BELL, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Y the city of Oakland, county of Alameda, State of California, have made a new and useful invention, to wit, Improvements in Universal Shafts; and'I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and

' exact-.description of the same.

- ed forr'use in connection with surgical operations. The present adaptation ci? the inven' tion is disclosed in its application; to surgery; but it is'equally applicable to mechanical operations in wood kand metal, such asl drilling, sawing and 'engraving when suitably constructed. I further-contemplate the construction of mechanical toolswithin the purview of this invention in connection with drills, screw drivers, socket wrenches and the like, for use in reaching screws, nuts and other parts in inaccessible locations, in automobiles and other'mechanisms. Other objectsy and advantages will appear as this description progresses.

In this specification and the Vannexed drawings, vthe invention is illustrated inthe form considered to be the best but Vit is to be understood that the invention is not limit-v e ed to such form because it' may be embodied in other forms, and it is 'also to be understood that in and by the claims following the description it is desired to cover the invention in whatever form it mayfbe embodied.

4 In'the accompanying tworsheets of drawings, Y i Y Figure 1'is a side elevation ofthe surgical adaptation of this invention-vv connected with an electric motor.

Fig.'.2. is a fragmentary detail of the.v

swivel nose showing the manner of changing the' plane ofopleration of theiworjking an enlarged fragmentary;y detail partiallyfin cross section of the elbow gearing 1 0 Fig. 4is'a similar view of a modication vthe drawings includes the electric motor 1 connected tothe source of power through` the iiexible cable 2. The case of the motor terminates in a cylindrical `plug 3, adapted to snugly lit within the end of the tube 4. This tube hasthe set screw 5 threaded therein with a rounded end adapted to set within the annular groove 6 in the plug. The tube 4 is provided with the elbow 7 into which the diametrically reduced end ofthe tube 8 snugly lits and is providedvwith a groove similar to 6 to receive,` the set screw 9 threadedl in the elbow. The tube 8 is provided with the elbow-10 fixed-'thereon and swiveled toa complementary elbow r11 having'the tube 12 fixed therein. The socket13` snugly fits the `tube 12 and is provided with a set screw 14 engaging an'annula'r groove therein similar to 6. The socket 13 terminates in the elbow`15. f

c All of these socket and set screw points may be swiveled,assembled or disassembled andv reassembled in interchangeable relations, as will be hereinafter'more fullydescribed. Theshaft of the .motor terminates in a socket-chuck to receive the suitably shaped end of the shaft 16.f The oppositeend of this shaft is provided with a journal 17 rotating ina bearing`I 18 mounted within the 'elbow 7'seefFig.l 4.V The bevell'gear 19 is The opposite end .of the shaft -22 issimillarlyjournaled -in'abearing held in the end of the tube'8 by the set'jscrew 24:" :The

mitergear l26 is-fiXed on the end of the shaft 22-and enmeshe'swith the similar gear 27 fixed on Va sleeve journaled upon the `cross pin 28.v This pin is fixed inthe elbow 11 and extends through theV elbow 10, `which-.are

drawn togetherl by the nut 29A threaded on l 'the' pin-28." vThemiterV gear 31 is'ied on the oppositeend of thefsleeve and revolves VV integrally with the-gear 27. The-miter gear 32 enmeshes with the gear Blaandisiixed on the endl of the Shaft 3,3 Vthat Ivis journaled vby the swivel elbow 13-15. Fig. 3, inwhich the properly shaped shaft 39 is adapted to engage the chuck 36. The opposite end of this shaft is suitably journaled in the bearing 41 in the tube 13. The bevel gear 42 is iixed on the end of the shaft 39 and enmeshes witha similar gear 43 fixed on the chuck 44 journaled in the socket bearing 46, that is xed in the elbow 15, within which it bottoms. The ring bearing 47 slips over the chuck 44 and bears against the back of the gear 43and is held in position by the annular nut 48 threaded in the end of the elbow 15 yand removable by a spanner key engageable in slots 49 therein. The saw 38 or other tool can be held in this chuck.

The chuck and shank herein disclosed will be made the subject of a separate application for patent.

The chuck comprises a tubular member 51, see Fig. 5 having a transverse pin 52 set across the socket 53. This chuck is attached to its drivingshaft by the cross pin 54. The opposite end of the chuck :is provided with an external Vannular groove, to receive the encirclingwire retainer 56. This groove is provided with a slot atv 57, into which the straight portion Y58 of thev retainer extends across and within the socket 53.

The shank 59 forms a slip fit with the socket' 53 and is milled away at the end 61 to pass the transverse pin 52, to prevent its rotation within the socket, and to insure its retention within the chuck during its operation. It is provided with a lateral notch 62 into which the pin 52 enters when powerA is applied, preventing the dislodgment of the shank. The shank is also provided with a shallow recess 63 into which the re tainer 58 resiliently engages to detachably lock the shank within the chuck. The shank is readily removable by manually rotating it until the recess 63 disengagcs from the resilient tension of the retainer 56; also disengaging the notch 62.from the pin 52, permitting the easy removal of the shank.. The

lend of the shank is rounded at 64 to wedge the retainer open, unless the shankL is inserted with the flat portion 61 over the straight portion 58, when the retainer will lthen be spread by the camlike wall`66 of the flattened portion. This interchangeable scope of shank is formed-on all tools adapted for use in connection iwiththe universal,v

shaftl provided with this form` of chuck. Y This chuck and shaft construction isalso applied 'throughout the various sections of fthe universal shaft, whereby the working tools may be inserted within the plug' 3 in ydirect connection with the motor Orf into the elbows 7-11 or 15. It is obvious that innumerable tube sections of various lengths or modifications, may be substituted for those shown or combined therewith. in meeting particular circumstances of difficult acceSsibility.

Vhen used in connection with bone surgery the operator grasps the tube 8, permitting the motor 1 to hang suspended pendulum fashion, which gives theoperator splendid control over the instrument which is thus held in normal equilibrium. By obvious manipulation of the swivels at the elbows 10-11 and 13-15, universal planes 'of action including complete reverse direction parallel with the motor shaft or any degree of angle thereto may be obtained. The importance of this is manifest considering that the working tools are operating within the incision where it is highly desirable at times, becauseof the peculiar angles of bone fracture, the direction of which'can not always be approximated before the incision is made. With this invention, holes may be bored into or through the bone at proper angles for the application of bolts, screw plates or other fixtures.

For the manipulation of the "shaft manually, I provide an extension of the shaft 22 in the elbow 7 see Fig. 4 the end of whichis iiattened, as at 61 in the shanks described, except that the notch 62 andthe gap 63 are omitted. The manual handle 67 of any suitable shape isv provided with'a socket 68, provided with across pin 69 adapted to engage the end 71 of the shaft 22, for manual rotation of the combination of shafts intervening between the handle 67 and the terminal tool. 'This is particularly useful in driving screws into joining plates or in applying threaded bone pegs and other uses 'that otherwise would necessitate enlarging the incision rearranging forceps or risking `the disalinementof the bone ends, by attempts to koperate at Zuncomfortable angles.

For simplicity' plain bearings are illustrated at the various journals but where high speed and efliciencyjare-desiderata antifriction bearings arerecommended.

Miter gears have been shown at the elbows to conform to 4the angle of 90 degrees, but bevel gears to conform to any desired angles may be substituted.

Having thus described thisy invention, what 1 claimv and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An extension shaft and housing 'therefor an electric motor,comprising in combination, a shaftsection havingV its one end yrigidly connected to the onev end of the motor shaft, a hollow plugvextendedfrom thev Vcasing of the motor, within which'l the shaft section connecting means is freelyrevoluble, a tubular member telescoping said shaft section and its one end telescoping the plug formed on the casing` of the motor, a set screw threaded through the tubular member adjacent its end telescopingv said plug, and said plug having an annular ,f rbroove into which said set screw extends, whereby the tubular member is rotatably held.

2. In a device of the class described, a plurality of shaft sections, disposed at right angles to one another, and having their adjacent ends rotatably connected, an elbow for housing each pair of the adjacent ends of the shafts, a pipe section telescoping each of the shafts and having one of its ends rigidly connected to the adjacent elbow, and

its other end sliding within the adjacent elbow and having an annular groove formed in its portion within the elbow, and a set screw threaded through each elbow and its inner end adapted to extend within the groove formed in the end of said pipe sections, whereby the one endof said pipe sections is rotatably held;

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, California, this 8th day of November, 1919.

WILLIAM L. BELL.

In the presence of- LINcoLN V. JOHNSON. 

